Two Hours Later
by SparkleTwinkle228
Summary: Set in the Future: When Helia finds out Flora is pregnant, he walks away- literally- leaving Flora... sort of a mess. Sequel to Winx Club: The Future is not so Yet to Come!
1. AN

This story is the sequel to _Winx Club: The Future is not so Yet to Come, _which is where the story started.

BUT, it works great on it's own, so if you are just somebody who wants to read a (somewhat fluffy) Flora x Helia story, I reccommend it!

For everybody's sakes, here's the recap of the first story:

_**CH 3**_

_"Well then what is it?!" asked Musa._

_Flora took a deep breath "I'm pregnant." she replied._

_"You're… you're… Well why don't you want to tell Helia!? It is his, right?!" Musa gasped._

_"Yes! Of course! Who else—"_

_"Well then why the dishonesty!?"_

_"Helia doesn't want children." Flora sighed._

_"But… but you always said that you…"_

_"Me. Just me. But then we got engaged, and we talked about it, and he was against it, totally. I thought I could change him. But we got married, and I tried to revisit it, but he was very… stolid, and wouldn't consider it. He doesn't like children. There are too many suffering children already. He's bad with children. He doesn't want to bring a child in to this world. It's too much pressure. He'd be a terrible father. The list goes on and on. Every time, more and more excuses. Finally, he told me that he just doesn't want to ruin what we have. That's one's the worst, because it's something I've wanted so badly, and now… we'll be ruined… and he won't be happy." A tear rolled down her cheek. "What should I do?" She whispered._

_..._

_**CH 12**_

_"OH MY GAWD!" Stella squealed, "How far along are you?"_

_ "8 weeks tomorrow." Flora whispered, staring at the ground._

_ "Congratulations!" the girls, except Musa squealed._

_ "Oh…" Musa said accusatorily "I'm not sure congratulations are in order"_

_ "What?" Layla gasped. "Why not?"_

_ "Because she's ashamed!" Musa exclaimed. "Just look at her!" The girls turned to see Flora clutching her stomach, and looking at Musa with tears streaming from her wide eyes down her face. "She hasn't even told Helia yet."_

_ Bloom couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why would Musa talk to her friend like that? That was so unlike her, to be that mean!_

_ Musa's words hit home with Flora, who finally broke in to sobs and ran out the door. _

_..._

_**CH 13**_

_"I'm pregnant, Helia." Flora whispered. "I'm sorry." she broke in to quiet sobs._

_ Helia sat motionless on the bench for nearly five minutes, before quietly getting up and walking away, down the long patio in to the dark. _


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: Flora is Very Depressed (For real, though)

Flora sighed and looked out the window. The sky was cloudy and grey, as if it was designed to make her depressing day even more so.

"Professor Flora?" Said a hesitant voice, snapping her out of her sulking trance. She looked up slowly, to find Fidel, a freshman with short blond hair, standing in front of her desk and staring at her with concerned eyes. "Are you all right?"

Flora smiled as happily as she could (which wasn't very) "Yes, thank you. Are you done with your assessments?" She asked, busying herself with anything but her own thoughts.

"Yes." The students murmured.

Flora approached the lab table and examined the markers that the students had placed in each of the pots of unruly plants.

"Sorry boys," She said patiently. "But if you tried to eat either this one or this one," She pointed at two pots. "You will either have violent seizures or loose circulation in your toes."

The class groaned and began accusing each other until the bell rang.

"All right, Boys!" Flora yelled weakly to her departing students. "Practice out of your textbooks for the quiz tomorrow!"

She returned to her desk and gathered up her papers, watching as the students filed out in small groups. When they had all left, she relaxed, and laid her head on her desk

"Come on, Flora," She told herself. "You can't just stay in this green house forever."

"Yes I can." She whispered. She felt a tear escape her eye and land on the desk.

The door opened, and her head shot up. It was Cordatorta.

"Oh… erm…" He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Helia told me to look after you while he was gone… so I'm…"

"Thank you!" She squeaked, as fresh hot tears pooled in her eyes. She hastily scrambled up her papers, slung her bag over her shoulder, and hurried out the door. "See you later, Professor!" she choked, and jogged as inconspicuously as she could down the lawn to her home. Upon reaching the door, she wrenched it open, and threw herself inside the house, slamming the door behind her. She ran through the small foyer, leaving her things scattering across the marble floor, and fell apart on the living room couch. Her hot tears stuck her hair to her face. She held her stomach tightly.

When Flora had finally gotten her tears under control, she shakily pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. The creases where it had been folded were soft and worn- some words were almost completely gone along the lines, while others were mangled by tearstains. It read:

Dearest Flora,

I am so sorry for running out on you like this, but I need a little time to think. I will be no longer than two days, if that, and when I return, we will resolve everything.

I love you so much,

Helia

Flora read the note for what felt like the 100th time, and, for what felt like the 100th time, felt a lump swell up inside of her throat. The same questions that she had asked the night that she had come home from the ball and found this note on the table chased each other around in her head: If he loved her so much, why did he leave? If he was sorry, why did he leave? And how was he planning to "resolve" this? Flora couldn't see any real resolution. But she guessed she would find out soon, seeing as tonight was the second night Helia would be gone.

Flora got flustered when thinking of Helia's return. She missed him so much, but, at the same time, the last time she saw him was when she had told him she was pregnant at Bloom's ball, and then watched him disappear in to the darkness. What would she do if he didn't want to have anything to do with their baby?

Flora was tired, and hungry, and she just couldn't make herself cry any more, so she sat up on the floor and tried to forget how pathetic she was being. She was a Sirenix fairy, and would one day be the official presiding guardian of Linphea! She had defeated Lord Darkar, Valtor, the Trix, the Ancestral Witches, the wizards of the black circle, and Tritannus! She had rescued the planet Sparks and brought magic back to earth! She had survived the Omega dimension! She was famous all over the magical and non-magical dimensions for these achievements! She shouldn't be crying her heart out because of a little tiff with her husband! All her life she had been told that she was too much of a pushover, too lenient. Helia had always been really good about understanding that and not taking advantage of her because of it.

"But…" She thought, "Why does this feel like the hardest thing I've ever done?"

She stood up, put the folded note back in to her pocket, and walked through the house to the kitchen, leaving her things strewn about the floor.

She opened the fridge to find it uninspiring. She grabbed some milk, and a bowl from a nearby cabinet.

"Looks like cereal again," she mumbled sadly, opening the box. She and Helia had always enjoyed cooking together. The food they made was sometimes… bad, but they always thoroughly enjoyed making it, and spending time together. She laughed absentmindedly thinking of the time that they burnt dinner so badly that they just gave up and went to Magix for dinner. She felt a twinge of pain in her stomach as she remembered that she was eating cereal alone again for dinner.

The clock read 5:45, too early to go to bed, so Flora set about grading quizzes. Despite her brief stunt at Alfea, she never even considered teaching until Helia was offered the headmaster's position after his grandfather stepped down. But, despite it not being her original plan, Flora loved her job. She loved being able to help young people learn and become better, smarter people, and watching their eyes light up when they understood, she loved knowing that what she was teaching would help them later in life, and she loved being the on campus "mother" and "sister". The boys always came to her for advice on girls and clothing, and sometimes more serious things, too. Flora sighed. She wished she could get some advice right about now.

As if on cue, Flora heard a "Hello?"

It was Bloom. Did nobody knock? She walked in to the kitchen, to find Flora with her papers dispersed across the table.

"Grading papers?" Bloom asked.

"Yes." Flora responded, trying to sound cheerful and up beat, even though she just wished her best friend would leave. "I don't mind." She said, noticing Bloom's exaggerated look of disgust.

"So, Helia working late?" Bloom asked hesitantly.

Flora bit her lip hard for several seconds, before she was confident enough to say in a cracking voice: "No, he's out of town."

Bloom's face contorted "That scummy _bastard_" she said through gritted teeth, her anger seething.

"Don't call him that…" Flora said quietly, looking down at her interlaced fingers in her lap.

"He's _still_ gone. He never came back to you on that bench, did he?" Bloom asked hotly.

"How do you know that?" Flora asked. "The bench at the ball, and then he... he walked away…"

"So I was_ right_?!" Bloom raged. "It took me _years_ to get past that, and it was for _nothing. _I was right all along, I never should have listened to me!"

Flora stared blankly. "…Bloom?"

"Nothing!"

Flora was suddenly worried, and remained silent.

"Nothing Flora, I just had a weird dream! What's that?" Bloom said hastily, pointing to where the weathered piece of paper that was Helia's note sat on the table.

"I got home, and this was on our bed," Flora said. As the tears that she had been avoiding began pooling in her eyes, she handed Bloom the note.

Bloom read it with a look of disgust.

"I'm going to kick his ass." She said determinedly.

"No, Bloom, please!" said Flora quickly. She had no doubt that Bloom would do violent things to Helia for this. "He's just… scared."

"OH." Bloom yelled. "AND HE DOESN'T THINK YOU ARE? OF COURSE IF _HE'S_ SCARED THAN HE SHOULD JUST WALK OUT ON HIS WIFE AND UNBORN CHILD."

"It's only been two days—"

Bloom stood up from her chair. "YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD MAKE ME MORE SCARED?" She bellowed "IF I FINALLY TOLD MY HUSBAND THAT I WAS PREGNANT AFTER BEING WORRIED ABOUT HIS REACTION, AND HIM WALKING AWAY. THAT WOULD MAKE ME MUCH MORE SCARED."

"Bloom, I'm OK, if he needs this time, then—"

Bloom looked at the empty bowl of cereal on the table, and then the five other ones in the sink, and her eyes narrowed.

"Have you been only eating cereal since he's been gone?" she asked shakily.

"I just don't really feel—"

"That's so bad for the baby, Flora!" She exclaimed "And you, too! You of all people should know that!"

"I never thought of…"

"Look, here's the deal." Said Bloom, massaging her temples in an obvious attempt to calm down. "I'll make your breakfast and lunch for tomorrow, if you come to dinner with me tomorrow night."

Flora didn't want to accept the deal. Helia, being a man true to his word, should be back tonight. But… what if he wasn't? He had walked out in the first place, did that mean…?

Bloom seemed to notice Flora's internal conflict, and rolled her eyes. "Look,"

She sighed. "If he comes home, you're off the hook."

Flora blushed. "OK"

Bloom rolled her eyes again, and began bustling around the kitchen. Flora just watched.

"Bloom," She said suddenly. "Do you need help or anything? Aren't you due in, like, a week?"

Bloom scoffed while cutting vegetables. "I'm due in a month, Flora. There's nothing I can't do! Except pick up that tomato that just fell on the floor. Would you?"

Flora laughed emptily and picked up the fruit. The night continued with small talk and cooking, and, by the time Bloom left, there were two square meals in the fridge waiting: one for breakfast, and one for lunch.

When Flora was finally alone again, it was 9:30, a completely acceptable time for her to go to bed. She graciously ascended the stairs, and crossed the landing. But she stopped right before passing the door on the left; Helia's art room. The door had stayed firmly shut in his absence, and every time she saw it, Flora felt a spasm of pain. She loved Helia's art, and his creativity. She loved how thoughtful and deep he became when he painted or drew; she really just loved him.

She passed the door reluctantly, a lump welling up in her throat for what must have been the 6th time that day, and entered the double doors leading to her bedroom. The room was a mess. Her clothes and shoes thrown everywhere, along with a few of Helia's shirts, which smelled faintly of Helia himself, and Flora had taken to wearing to bed in his absence. The bed was unmade, towels were lying on the floor, and books were strewn every which where. Flora just couldn't motivate herself to take care of anything; not herself, not her home, not even her plants.

But Bloom was right: she was being stupid. She had to take care of herself, because in doing that, she was taking care of her baby. Tears broke free again when she realized how unhappy her child must be. Only eating cereal, no father, and a depressed lazy mother who never spoke. Flora sobbed.

"What am I doing?" She said, falling on to the bed holding her stomach.

Flora suddenly remembered Stella saying that if you speak to it in the womb, your baby will know the sound of your voice. She was startled to realize that she had never spoke _to_ her baby. Did people do that?

"Hi…" Flora said tentatively. "Um…I… I'm your… your…" She struggled with the last word. "M…mom…"

"I'm sorry I did this to you," she choked between tears. "You don't deserve this." She began trying to steady her breathing in attempt to stop the tears. "You… you… you deserve better." She said quietly, arousing a new round of violent sobs.

She stopped abruptly. "What if it never hears Helia speak?" She thought in horror "What if it doesn't know the sound of its father's voice? What if…" she couldn't finish her thought. She would _not_ let herself get upset about that, because Helia _was_ coming back. End of discussion.


	3. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: Flora Becomes less depressed (Thank God)

Flora woke up to the sound of an alarm, which she hated. She missed Helia waking her up by coming in to the room after his morning work out and talking. He would speak about anything, and just ramble until she spoke back, and got up. Once, she was exhausted and refused to get up, so Helia picked her up out of bed, and stood her on her feet.

But today, she woke to the rude blare of her alarm and the sun streaming through the open window, who's curtains she hadn't bothered closing, and sat up groggily. A pit opened up in her stomach. Today was the third day of Helia's leave, and there was no sign of him.

"Helia?" Flora called quietly. No response. She felt a panicked ache grow in her stomach like a particularly nasty plant. What did this mean? When would he come back? Flora sat in bed thinking numbly for nearly half an hour, before realizing that she was almost late for Cooperation class! She ran to the bathroom (also messy) and jumped in the shower. She brushed her teeth, dried her hair, and, with her shirt half on, ran down the stairs to the kitchen. She grabbed her breakfast and lunch that Bloom had prepared her the night before out of the fridge, her bag off the floor in the foyer, and sped across the lawn and through the school until she reached the flight deck, where the ships were parked, assumedly waiting for her. Panting, she reached Cordatorta, and checked her watch. Three minutes until class started.

"Good morning, professor!" She gasped. She had never gotten used to him as a colleague, instead of a teacher to her pupil.

"Good morning, professor," He replied. "Cutting it close, I see." He commented disapprovingly.

"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed. "My routine's just a little wonky lately…" She trailed off, hoping he wouldn't make her explain further.

"Right." He said, backing off a little more quickly that Flora would have expected, making her wonder how much Helia told him about the situation when he had asked Cordatorta to "look after her".

"Well," he added. "I wanted you to know that Helia's sub will meet you at the swamp."

"Oh." Flora said shortly. She felt stupid. Usually, she and Helia taught cooperation classes together. But he was gone. It stung, having to teach them without Helia, seeing as cooperation classes were the few weekdays a month that they got to spend all day together. She shuttered.

"No," She told her baby quietly, as she sat on the floor of the hangar shamelessly and ate her cold breakfast and watched Cordatorta walk away. "I'm not going to cry any more. I'm so sick of crying! I feel weak, and I don't like that."

When Flora was done eating, she stood and called her students around. "Ok, gentlemen." She began "For today's cooperation we are going in to the field!"

The boys cheered and whooped at this, excited for the excursion

"Usually, there aren't outings like this for a few months, and we were _going_ to just meet with the girls in the stadium, but Cordatorta's doing something with freshman on levabikes, I don't know. So any questions?"

"Where's the headmaster?" A boy asked.

Flora couldn't help it. The lump in her throat was creeping back up, preventing her from speaking. She just stood there, mute, in front of 30 teenaged boys for what felt like ages, before a voice from behind her said:

"Not here, so you've got me." The voice was familiar, but Flora couldn't believe it! She spun around.

"Riven!" Flora exclaimed, overwhelmed with gratitude to see a familiar face that could save her in her moment of panic. Riven, being a freelance hero, often helped with the juniors, but not this early in the year.

But what Flora really wasn't expecting was: "BRANDON?!" She hastened over and hugged them, using the second of stability to regain control over herself.

"Hey!" Brandon laughed. "Long time, no see!"

"How are you here?" She asked incredulously.

"Stella's giving me a break from the royal treatment!" He laughed nervously. "She thinks I'm reacting badly to being cooped up." He just shrugged, and Flora let it go.

"And you?" She asked Riven.

"I'm freelance," He shrugged. "I go where they pay me."

They turned to the class, and put their arms around each other amiably.

The boys just stared.

"What?" Riven asked.

"Professor," One of the boys said, "You never told us you knew _them_."  
"What do you mean, I never told you?" Flora asked confusedly. "Riven comes here like every month. We've been best friends since we were your age."

"All of the legendary specialists?" Asked another boy. His widening eyes were glued to Brandon. Brandon raised his eyebrows and Riven cringed.

"Is that a real nickname, kid? Or are you just making this up?" Riven accused.

"N-no, sir!" The boy stuttered. "That's what they call you in class!"

Riven stood up straighter. "They talk about us in class?" He mumbled to Flora, who sighed. The momentary rush of relief that had covered her upon her friend's arrival was gone. Now that she once again had control of her emotions, she wished that they would both just leave.

"Professor, that means you're one of the Winx!" Piped up another boy.

Flora rolled her eyes. "I told you that on the first day of class! When you were a freshman! Yes, I'm a Winx, and professor Helia is a Legend."

There was silence.

"You know," started another boy "I think I remember talking about you and professor Helia in History… That's really cool, professor!"

"We talked about them for like 45 minutes last semester!" Another boy yelled. "How can you guys not remember that?"

Brandon rolled his eyes. "Here's to having all daughters" He mumbled to Flora, who giggled "Any way," he continued so that the students could hear him, "We met you here instead of the swamp, Flora, so that you wouldn't have to ride in an Hawk piloted by a freshmen with 2 months practice."

"These are juniors." Flora said dryly, knowing Brandon's real motivation.

"Oh, well… We're more qualified, so we should still drive, right Riven?"

"You're going to drive?" Asked one of the disbelieving students. "But… you're the king of Solaria!"

Riven snickered, and Brandon scowled. "Get in the ship."

Flora sat in the cockpit and listened to riven and Brandon reminisce/ argue for the whole 15-minute flight to the Black Mud swamp. When they landed in a clearing, Flora, Riven, Brandon, and the students greeted Professor Palladium and the third year Alfea fairies.

"Professor!" Flora smiled, reaching him and giving him a quick side hug.

"Flora!" Called Miele as she emerged from the crowd. She broke from the throng of young fairies to embrace Flora, her long hair swishing behind her. "Hey!" She exclaimed. "Look at me, I'm an enchantix fairy!"

Flora couldn't believe it, it suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks how much Miele had grown in the last 18 years. Her once clumsy baby sister had become a beautiful young woman. Over the years, Miele's skin had darkened just as Flora's had, and her strawberry blonde hair had darkened a few shades to match.

"Ahem." Professor Palladium cleared his throat. "I see you've brought Riven, Flora." He said "and… My goodness!" he exclaimed, bowing excitedly, "King Brandon of Solaria!" All of the girls followed suit and curtsied. The Red Fountain boys, as if just realizing that Brandon was, in fact, a real king, bowed clumsily, too, leaving Riven, Flora, and Brandon the only ones standing.

Riven chuckled again, and Brandon sulked.

"But if you don't mind me asking…" Said Palladium, standing upright again, "where is the Headmaster?"

Flora felt a wave of panic, and squeezed Miele tight in preparation for answering calmly.

"GAH." Riven scoffed. "Helia, Helia, Helia! You know, back in the day, _I_ was the cool one, not Helia!" he looked at Flora and winked.

"You were never the cool one," Brandon contradicted. "You were the angry one."

"Yeah," Riven grumbled. "Well, neither was Helia! He was the feminine hippy!"

Palladium shot Riven a disgusted look. "Girls," he assured his class, "These men were also part of the Legendary Specialists!"

"We know…" giggled one of the girls.

"Flora" Miele whispered, "You're hurting me."

"Oh!" Flora gasped, releasing her hold on her sister.

"OK, fancy pants." Riven said. "Are you going to go? Because this isn't Fairy/ Elf cooperation class, this is Fairy/ Specialist cooperation, and—"

"Call me if you need Help, Professor," Palladium said curtly to Flora, before disappearing.

"You guys…" Flora reprimanded.

"Sorry, Sorry" Riven said dismissively.

"He's sorry." Brandon assured.

Flora heaved a great sigh. "Ok," She said to the fairies and specialists. "You have 10 minutes to catch up, go."

Brandon, Riven and Flora watched as the teenagers mingled.

"Why were you so mean to Palladium, Riven?"

"He was sticking his nose where it didn't need to be." He said simply.

"But, Riven that's—"

"All right, time's up!" Brandon called hastily.

"It hasn't been 10 minutes." Said a blond fairy.

"I don't care." Said Brandon decidedly.

Grumbling, the students fell in to a group, Brandon and Riven Pulled out their swords, Flora transformed, and the lesson began. The day consisted of learning how to negotiate around fairies with enchantix powers, as at least half of the girls had recently gained them. The boys, too, were becoming more advanced with their weapons and tactics.

It was dusk by the time Palladium returned for his students. These cooperation excursions usually took at least a whole day, sometimes two or three. Flora, Riven, Brandon, and the boys piled back on to the ship.

"Remember that time that we all slept in that little room in the back?" Brandon reminisced as he piloted the ship back in to the landing dock.

"Yes!" exclaimed Riven, opening the door, and letting the students out. "And it was so loud because it was right between the engine and the left turbine that was malfunctioning!"

"It wasn't really malfunctioning…" Said Brandon, as he helped Flora out of the door. "You remember don't you Flora? And then there was that huge party and Tecna got punch all over her?"

"Yes, I remember!" Flora said with mock excitement "that was the first time…" But she trailed off as she felt the lump growing in her throat as she was forced to remember the first time Helia had said he loved her.

"I don't feel so good all of a sudden!" she gasped, praying that she could keep the tears out of her eyes for just a little longer. "It was great to see you both!" She didn't think, or listen to her concerned friends call after her, she ran through the halls of the school (thankfully no students saw her) and burst through the double doors in to Helia's office.


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: Flora Has More Feelings (Yay)

The room was empty, just as Helia had left it 3 days ago. The curtains were open and revealed the Sunset, with Magix in the far, far, distance. Flora sat on the white couch, and cried. Quietly, this time, unless anybody heard her. She was vastly outnumbered on campus as the only other females were the pixie guardian of the codex, Athena, and Elsa the ancient bad tempered Librarian.

Flora stopped crying quickly. She just couldn't bring herself to continue. It felt worse to cry than to grin and bear it, as she had all day. Suddenly, she felt bad about ditching Riven and Brandon. She pulled out her phone to call one of them, but right as she had it fully out of her pocket, it began ringing.

"Hey," Flora answered, trying to hide that she had been crying to Bloom, who's face had appeared on the screen.

"Hey!" Bloom said. "We're coming to get you, be ready in 10 minutes."

"Oh, no, Bloom… I'm not really feeling…"

"Come on!" Bloom insisted. "You all had that day together last weekend, and I miss you! I haven't seen Tecna in _months._"

"Tecna will be there?" Flora asked.

Tecna was working hard on a time travel device to prove to the Royal Court of Zenith that she was worthy to success her rapidly ailing father and become the new queen in his stead. Consequentially, she was the hardest Winx to get a hold of these days, and Flora hadn't seen her once in the last 4 months.

"Flora, Flora!" called a familiar voice in the background of Flora's call. "Bloom give me the phone!" the scene on the other end became a whoosh of color, and then settled on Stella's face.

"Flora, I really need you to come along!" She pleaded. "There's been a lot of… tension with Brandon and myself lately, and I need your advice!"

Flora was silent. She had a feeling that Stella was just saying all of this to appeal to her "door mat" like disposition, to get her to come. Then again, she _had_ mentioned something about Brandon being restless, and Brandon had basically said the same thing this morning.

"I don't know, Stella." Flora said hesitantly "I don't really feel up to—"

"Flora, PLEASE! I NEED YOU!" Stella whined.

"Oh," Flora sighed "OK."

"Yaaaaay!" Stella squealed, "We'll pick you up in 10!"

Flora sighed. "I couldn't say no!" She told her baby. "She needs me!" She stood up. "It's about time I stopped being so selfish, and started thinking about other people!" She said determinedly. "There's no good reason to be sitting here, crying, feeling sorry for myself!"

Flora knew that this was the ideal mentality, but she couldn't help feeling raw and broken. She missed Helia so much, and felt lost and vulnerable without him. Dejectedly, she got up from her seat on the couch, and walked over to the mirror on the opposite wall. She used magic to fix her hair and make-up, before returning to the hangar to find Stella's ship landing.

"Friends of yours?" asked a voice. Flora, startled, jumped and whirled around. The speaker was Cordatorta.

"Yes!" Flora blushed. "They've come to take me to dinner…"

"Some of the Winx and the Legends…?" He asked doubtfully.

"Yes." Flora assured him. "Actually I think it's just Stella and Bloom."

"The loud one and the trouble maker?" he asked, remembering them only as they had been as students from Alfea (not that they had changed much anyway).

"Yes."

"Have a nice time." He added warily, and walked back inside the building.

"Miss Flora of Linphea?" Flora turned around to address the speaker behind her. Why didn't people just say things to her face? It was a Solarian guard.

"Yes" She said flatly.

"Queen Stella and Queen Bloom are waiting for you." He said sternly. Flora watched covertly as he scanned her up and down.

"Thank you," she said with mock sweetness in her voice, before passing him and entering the ship.

"FLORA!" Stella cried excitedly. She and Bloom were sitting on cushy leather seats drinking something fizzy. "Sit down, sit down!" she urged, patting the seat next to her, which Flora took.

As the ship took flight, Stella poured Flora a champagne glass full of the fizzing liquid.

"It's non-alcoholic," She said dismissively, noting Flora's look of doubt. "Obviously, if Bloom's drinking it."

9 months pregnant Bloom winked. "We're so glad you could come tonight!" she said. "I got a call from Layla, she says she's almost there. Tecna, too. And of course, Musa…"

Flora smiled weakly. "Good, I'm looking forward to it."

Bloom and Stella exchanged an unreadable glance, before smiling at Flora. Stella's smile slowly fell as something dawned on her.

"Why didn't you change?" She groaned. Flora looked down and realized that she was wearing the same outfit that she had all day in the black mud swamp, including mud caked boots.

"Oh, Stella…" She groaned, "I'm so sorry!" She noticed that Bloom and Stella were both wearing very nice cocktail dresses.

"Geez… I don't think I realized that we were going this fancy, though."

"Don't worry!" Stella soothed. "I hoped that you wouldn't! Now you get to wear this!" she continued, and snapped her fingers, causing a slim fitting pink cocktail dress to fly out of a door to the back of the ship.

"Oh, um Stella…"

"Don't worry!" Stella said exasperatedly, "You're four weeks, right?"

"Five, and three days." Flora said firmly. She would NOT lead anybody to believe that she was unhappy about her pregnancy. This was a mentality that she had developed days ago, because she wanted it to be clear: just because she was having a hard time with Helia and adjusting, did NOT mean that she wasn't totally in love with her child already.

Flora changed quickly, and by the time she was done, the ship was landing in front of a building in downtown Magix with pulsating lights, that was emanating deep bass.

"A CLUB?!" Flora screamed with outrage, seeing the building through the window.

"Calm down!" assured a guilty Stella. "It's a lounge upstairs, so you don't have to dance! Musa's spinning tonight, and Layla wants to burn some stress, and… and I really _do_ need your advice, Flora. Brandon and I are… weird." Stella stared in to Flora's eyes pleadingly.

Flora sighed, aggravated. "Ok," She conceded, and allowed herself to be towed in to the noisy building.

"Why do I do these things to myself?" Flora murmured as she sat in a dimly lit booth, and listened to the sound of blaring music and pulsating bass. She was "taking a break" from dancing. In other words, she escaped Stella and Layla as soon as they let her go, and returned to her seat at the table with Bloom.

"What's up?" Bloom yelled over the music, noting Flora's upset expression.

When Flora spoke, she was annoyed to find that she was close to tears again. "I just don't get why you guys are doing this to me." She replied with some difficulty.

"What do you mean?" Bloom shouted back.

"I mean!" Flora yelled, almost more out of anger than the need for volume, "I am depressed and lonely because my husband left when he found out that I was pregnant, and it's you all's response to call him a bastard and take me to a club?"

Bloom was at a loss for words. "Flora, honestly, we—"

"I wanted to apologize," Said Musa.

Flora looked away from Bloom's face to see Musa standing in front of the table.

"I made them bring you here because I'm working tonight, and I needed to say I'm sorry."

"For… for what?" Flora sniffed, hot tears now streaming silently down her face.

"Geez, Flora do you not remember? At Stella's? Before the ball? I said some really mean things to you."

Flora suddenly remembered what Musa was talking about "Oh… Musa… you were right." She yelled. "I was being all of the things you said, and I know you were only saying them to make me understand my actions. It was wrong to lie to Helia."

Musa shook her head. "No, I was jealous. I've always been envious of your perfect romance, and when I saw you damaging it, I saw myself, and thought: "That's why you couldn't work in that kind of relationship…" Anyway, I was being really harsh on myself, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

Flora stood. "I forgive you, we all say things we don't mean. Thank you, though, because whether you meant it or not, you did help me tell the truth. Now if you'll excuse Me." she said quickly, before tearing out of the room.


End file.
